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It certainly fills up spaces in the great jigsaw puzzle... Nic 63/21 On 11 November 2015 at 04:00, Kathleen Cochran <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Very interesting. Does this relate somehow to inosine, which affects urate > levels? And might this have something to do with how dogs pick up the smell > of PD? > > I swear, for the last year or so, I've been aware of an ammonia smelll that > seems to emanate from me. I wonder if this smell masks other odors, > resulting in the anosmia experienced by many of us PD sufferers. > > Could PD be a urea cycle disorder? > > Kathleen > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > From the University of Rochester, here is something on ammonia testing. > > Link: > > > https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=167&ContentID=ammonia > Ammonia Does this test have other names? > > Blood ammonia test, NH3 > What is this test? > > This test checks the level of ammonia in your blood. The test helps find > out why you may have changes in consciousness and also helps diagnose a > liver disease called hepatic encephalopathy. This disease affects how your > brain works, because of excess toxins, or poisons, in your body. > > Your liver may not work properly if you have high levels of ammonia in your > blood. Ammonia is a chemical made by bacteria in your intestines and your > body's cells while you process protein. Your body treats ammonia as a waste > product. It turns it into an amino acid called glutamine and a chemical > compound called urea. Your bloodstream moves the urea to your kidneys, > where it is eliminated in your urine. > > But ammonia will build up in your body if you can't get rid of urea. This > can sometimes happen if you have kidney or liver failure. It can also > happen if you have a urea cycle disorder, a genetic disorder that means > your body is missing one of the enzymes that remove ammonia from the blood. > The ammonia blood test is the gold standard for diagnosing urea cycle > disorders. > > On 9 November 2015 at 20:04, Rayilyn Brown <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > another abstract from Joanie McGuire > > > > Program#/Poster#: > > 12.02 > > > > > > > > > > Presentation Title: > > Stopping progression of Parkinson's disease with the drug > > phenylbutyrate > > > > > > > > > > Location: > > N230 > > > > > > > > > > Presentation time: > > Saturday, Oct 17, 2015, 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM > > > > > > > > > > Topic: > > ++C.03.a. Human studies > > > > > > > > > > Authors: > > *C. R. FREED1, M. WANG1, J. CUMMISKEY1, K. B. BJUGSTAD1, B. A. > > SYMMES1, C. A. JOHNSON2, R. C. MURPHY2, M. A. LEEHEY3, W. ZHOU1; > > 1Div. of Clin. Pharmacol., 2Dept. of Pharmacol., 3Dept. of > > Neurol., Univ. Colorado Sch. of Med., Aurora, CO > > > > > > > > > > Abstract: > > Parkinson's disease has excellent symptomatic treatment with > > drugs such as L-DOPA, but the underlying disease process causes a > > relentless downhill course. > > > > > > > > Several drugs have been tested in an effort to alter disease > > progression, but all have failed. We have developed a new concept for > > stopping the progression of Parkinson’s disease by turning on a > > neuroprotective gene with an FDA-approved drug. In Parkinson’s disease, > the > > protein alpha-synuclein forms abnormal deposits called Lewy bodies as > well > > as toxic fibrils which contribute to the death of dopamine neurons. We > have > > discovered that the drug phenylbutyrate can prevent aggregation of > > alpha-synuclein in transgenic mice which are genetically programmed to > > develop a form of Parkinson’s disease as they age. > > > > > > > > The drug works by upregulating the neuroprotective gene DJ-1. > > Gene activation leads to an increase in lysosome and exosome activity, > > promoting transfer of alpha-synuclein from neurons into the bloodstream > > where the protein is eliminated. In mice, phenylbutyrate increased plasma > > alpha-synuclein by about 100 per cent compared to non-treated control > > animals. > > > > > > > > To see if phenylbutyrate has the same effect in people, we > > have given the drug for three weeks to 20 people with newly diagnosed > > Parkinson’s disease and to 20 age-matched subjects without the disease. > We > > found that the drug increased the level of alpha-synclein in plasma of > all > > 40 subjects from 50 to 150 per cent of baseline values, just as it had > done > > in transgenic mice, strongly suggesting that the drug can mobilize > > alpha-synuclein from neurons into blood plasma. While baseline plasma > > alpha-synuclein varied between subjects, the average alpha-synuclein > plasma > > concentrations at baseline and during phenylbutyrate administration did > not > > differ between patients with Parkinson's disease and normal subjects. > > Results are compatible with a neuroprotective effect of phenylbutyrate by > > accelerating clearance of alpha-synuclein from brain into plasma. > > > > > > > > A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in newly diagnosed > > Parkinson patients will be needed to prove whether phenylbutyrate can > stop > > the progression of Parkinson’s disease in humans. > > > > > > > > > > Disclosures: > > C.R. Freed: C. Other Research Support (receipt of drugs, > > supplies, equipment or other in-kind support); Hyperion Pharmaceuticals. > M. > > Wang: None. J. Cummiskey: None. K.B. Bjugstad: None. B.A. Symmes:None. > C.A. > > Johnson: None. R.C. Murphy: None. M.A. Leehey: None. W. Zhou: None. > > > > > > > > > > Keyword (s): > > PARKINSON'S DISEASE > > > > > > > > > > > > NEUROPROTECTION > > > > > > > > > > > > DOPAMINE > > > > > > > > > > Support: > > Walter S. and Lucienne Driskill Foundation > > > > > > > > > > > > Michael J. Fox Foundation > > > > > > > > > > > > Mr. Charles Ackerman > > > > > > > > > > > > Mr. Ray Sidhom > > > > > > > > > > > > Mr. John Anderson > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Ray > > Rayilyn Brown > > Past Director AZNPF > > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > > [log in to unmask] > > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > [log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn